Shadowrun has a great team based theme that breaks new ground in some areas of the multiplayer FPS mold that we usually
Shadowrun, if you want to learn more about Shadowrun’s previous games on SegaCD, Sega Genesis, and SNES use GS search engine, keyword: shadowrun.
Read/watch Jeff’s review and then come back here…
Now Jeff makes a good point there at the very end of his video review, in that Shadowrun is not worth the current price of admission. With Shadowrun being strictly a multiplayer game, the number of maps and play types is well below that of what other comparable games have, and those other games have a full single player campaign. The majority of us are paying full price for half the content. FASA certainly needed to add twice as many maps, and twice as many exciting team based modes to compensate for the high price. To balance this immediately negative aspect of their game, FASA should release five new maps/content/weapon packs for free. Unfortunately, seeing how Microsoft forced Epic to charge players for the Gears of War map pack, when Epic “wanted” to release them for free, some player may feel that nickel and dime is going too far. That being said…imagine if you could get Shadowrun for half price (which will happen eventually), or for free (like the GS review crew did) then you have yourself a decent experience that isn’t marred by its high monetary value. An expansive story that would have built upon the Shadowrun past is none existent, but the run and gun action is there if you play extended multiplayer matches (or even a decent run of multiple rounds in training solo on Elite difficulty). The initial training interface is a nice presentation to acclimate new players to the idea of using magic in a multiplayer FRAG fest, and the concepts of the magic uses are nice to play with and find excellent combinations that effectively change the course of a battle. And in the same fashion as Counter Strike, you can retain and purchase new tech gear, weapons, and for Shadowrun, magic. This systems works best for matches that last for more than 30 minutes, as your team and your opponents earn money that is used to purchase said items. The growth of abilities that each player can gather is apparently clear as getting to the objective gets more elaborate and lengthy.
The other negative that plays against Shadowrun, is that it feels just a little bit unfinished in obvious areas of presentation. Sorry if you don’t like the jumping back and forth from pros to cons, but stick with me. The character animations you see (if you can get another player to stand still) are detailed down to the jaw grinding and stretchy breathing of battle ready avatars, but in action, the characters look clunky and walk up ladders like so many other FPS shooters before Shadowrun, where the character’s arms and legs don’t even touch a single rung, but instead continue their regular running animation up a vertical ladder. Please, somebody create a hand/foot over hand/foot animation that shows a quick leap, jump, or vault up a ladder and get rid of this visual eye soar.
The last mention being made for Shadowrun, will be that you have to give the game a once through, and that it makes for a great rental. But don’t give up on Shadowrun, even if it is expensive now, wait awhile and buy the game when it is cheaper, and you’ll get you money’s worth. Otherwise, find a good group of friends that enjoy playing a unique game that can be played with exciting strategy. Try getting a group together and explore the maps for an hour and train together with different magic and weapons, and you will have a great time. Remember, this game is a multiplayer specific experience, and will not satisfy gamers looking for campaign style level by level conquests. If Shadowrun is to survive the September releases of other high profile multiplayer games, FASA will need to push multiple map packs into player’s hands at a bargain price, or free. Otherwise the experience may not last for a long enough run.